CitySuites II Manchester review – a high-rise home-from-home that’s slick and sleek
When your 10th floor aparthotel comes with fully fitted kitchen, but the ground floor boasts an on-site restaurant serving exceptionally high-quality food, you know you have options
Have you seen Barbarian? How about The Rental? It seems the humble homestay, once the most exciting trend in travel, is now inspiring horror films left, right and centre. It’s little surprise, then, that apartment-hotels – or ‘aparthotels’, to use the cumbersome portmanteau – have become so popular. They do, after all, seek to reprioritise customer service in that ‘home away from home’ experience. At least in theory. Last year, Attitude arrived at a luxury aparthotel to the anxiety-inducing sight of a key lock box (and no desk clerk), whereby we were forced to stand in the rain while thumbing through check-in literature.
It was a relief, then, to be checked in at record speed by a cool, calm receptionist at CitySuites II in Manchester last weekend. We were further reassured by the wider cast of characters unique to hotels: friendly housekeepers in the hallways, for example, and attentive servers at the on-site Embankment Kitchen Restaurant & Bar.
A welcome pack (hilariously addressed to ‘Tabberer’, sans the ‘Mr’) answered any further questions, although availability of a 24-hour concierge was a reassuring indulgence. We called ours to ask for toothpaste, which, they regretted to inform us, they couldn’t provide. Fair enough – one can’t expect to be totally babied! – but we do draw the line at the absence of conditioner and body lotion in the bathrooms. (The sumptuous shampoo, soap and shower gel, on the other hand, were by The White Company.)
Otherwise, these fully serviced apartments come so well-equipped, with fridges, microwaves, washing machines and more, that you could easily shut the world away and delude yourself into thinking you actually lived here. That was Attitude’s plan when we rocked up… but we instead spent most of our two-night stay enjoying CitySuites’ enviable facilities. The indoor 18m pool and Jacuzzi, cocooned in warm brown slate walls, is a chic, magnetic space, and the dark, atmospheric steam room, which we had totally to ourselves for long spells, is addictive. There’s also a state-of-the-art gym if you’re so inclined.
The suites themselves are plush and comfortable, and the furniture, carpets, and paintwork still box-fresh since opening in 2021. (City Suites II’s next-door brother property, City Suites 1, opened in 2017.) The décor, meanwhile, is fresh and minimal: the many shades of grey and artworks depicting tranquil scenes of water scream ‘business’ hotel rather than ‘boutique’ or ‘family’, but Attitude absolutely revelled in this unfussiness, and the calmness of big, uncluttered, spaces the are sparkling clean. In fact, the sleek interiors reflect the building’s sharp exterior: this is just one of several sci-fi-movie-ready high-rises in this the area. As we were 10 floors up, our floor-to-ceiling windows offered lovely views of Manchester Cathedral.
Indeed, another major selling point is location: Manchester Victoria railway station is a short walk away, as is Selfridges, and all of the city’s major shopping arteries thereafter. And yet, despite its central placement, the area joining and surrounding these two buildings is again quiet and sprawling, with very little footfall or traffic.
As such, Attitude enjoyed breakfast al fresco late (and we mean late – at 11am!) both mornings. The English breakfast is hearty and faultless. Dinner, meanwhile, was fantastic: the perfectly balanced shredded duck leg ragu pappardelle, with heritage cherry tomatoes, spinach, and rocket, is evidently a signature dish, advertised as it is in the CitySuites lifts. The kitchen is clearly very proud of it: we spotted one of the chefs closely surveying us from across the room as we took our first bite. There was more high-quality meat courtesy of the sticky glazed pork belly we had to start. All the small plates looked awesome and are priced at three for £17.50: we recommend the cauliflower bhajis and halloumi fries, both of which might have been swimming in fat but instead tasted light and delicate. Or, you know, just put that pristine kitchen to good use!
A one-night stay at CitySuite II costs from £120 for two sharing a Studio Apartment. To book, visit https://www.citysuites.com/en/citysuites-2/